When NWA wrote “F*ck the Police” in the late 1980s,
they were heavily criticized. At the time, the police brutality that they spoke
of was a racial boogeyman that remained hidden due to the high cost of home
video cameras. Rodney King changed all that, and it let America know that the
relationship between Black men and the police usually left us at the short end of
the baton.
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I am not an attorney. I am just a scholar and a
Black man who cares about what happens when my brothers interact with that
peculiar street gang otherwise known as the police. Sometimes, the cops are
here to protect us, but other time, they are here to protect everyone else from
us.
Therefore, interacting with police in a way that
keeps us from losing our lives is absolutely critical.
Please note that this is not a substitute for legal
advice. I recommend that you speak to an attorney to get a more complete
understanding of how to handle situations like this one. But my Facebook
friends, some of whom have solid legal backgrounds, helped me to compile this
list of things you should keep in mind when dealing with the police. Think
about these issues carefully, for it might save your life:
1) Be respectful, don’t speak first, and don’t speak
with hostility: Getting smart with the cops doesn’t make things better. For at
least a short period of time, they have all the power, and you have none.
Settle your beef later on, when it’s safe. Also, you’re probably better off not
volunteering any information, since many questions are designed to trap you
into giving yourself up.
2) Learn your rights: Read short guides on what you
should do if you encounter a police officer. Videos such as this one below can
be helpful in showing you what you need to do.
3) Don’t make any sudden moves and keep your hands
on the steering wheel: Being a Black man already makes you suspicious in the
eyes of some police officers. Don’t give them anymore reasons to get out of
line.
4) Ask for permission before you grab or reach for
anything: Officers are afraid just like you are. Any unexpected grabs may set
him/her off and make the officer believe that they are in danger.
5) Keep a valid photo ID on you: If you have a
driver’s license, keep it with you. If not, then keep your student ID or
something that allows the officer to know who you are.
6) Turn on the interior lights of your car so they
don’t mistake your cell phone for a handgun: The officer likely wants to know
everything that’s going on inside the car at all times.
7) Keep your license, registration, and insurance in
a convenient place: If it’s easy to reach, this keeps things simple and helps
to avoid any confusion.
8) Don’t lie to the officer: This is generally a bad
idea. Lying will only add to any charges you might already have.
9) Don’t give the officer a reason to search your car:
If they have reasonable suspicion that you’re hiding something, the officer
will then have probable cause to search you. Suspicious behavior, such as
shuffling through your personal items right before the stop, can set off alarm
bells in the mind of the police officer.
10) If you are not sure that the person is a police
officer, ask for some form of identification: People sometimes impersonate
police officers and use the trust they are granted to do terrible things. Make
sure you’re dealing with a real cop before making yourself vulnerable.
This is not a complete list, by any means. But it
does add to what you may already know about dealing with the police. Education,
for Black men, is critical when it comes to our own safety and protection. So,
don’t go into the world without your armor.